Divergent: After Initiation
by MissLErinM
Summary: Spoilers, obviously. This story starts after Chapter 33 of Divergent. The standings were just announced, Tris and Four just kissed in the Pit, and the celebrations will be starting soon. From this point on, my story will NOT be true to the books. Mostly because I want to explore Tris and Four's life in Dauntless. I don't own anything.
1. Lost Puppy

Spoilers, obviously. This story starts after Chapter 33 of Divergent. The standings were just announced, Tris and Four just kissed in the Pit, and the celebrations will be starting soon. From this point on, my story will NOT be true to the books. Mostly because I want Tris and Four to have a happy ending in Dauntless. Also, in my story, the Erudite are more of an annoyance than a threat and Dauntless leadership doesn't like or trust them, which means Eric is not working for the Erudite. He is, however, still a cruel leader. There is no war on Abnegation, so both of Tris's parents are still alive and none of the Dauntless have serums injected into them. And that's where I start at.

**Chapter 33**

After Tobias leaves to go talk with his friends, Christina stares at me in shock. "You… you and Four? How long has this been going on?"

"A while. I'll give you details later," I say.

"You better! What are we going to do to celebrate the rankings?" she asks.

I shrug and then head toward Uriah, gesturing for Christina and Will to follow me. I slip in between laughing groups of Dauntless until I find Uriah being harassed by Zeke for being outranked by a girl. Uriah doesn't appear particularly concerned by his brother's opinion. When Zeke sees me, he playfully puts an arm around me and pulls me into the center of the group.

"It's the girl of the hour! How's it feel to be the best in your initiation class, above my idiot brother?" he says.

Uriah rolls his eyes and says. "We're probably going to celebrate down here for a while and then head up to one of the older Dauntless's apartments. You wanna come along? The invitation extends to your transfer friends, too."

I step back to Christina and Will and quietly ask if they want to stay and celebrate with the Dauntless-born. Of course they do, so I nod at Uriah. Zeke leaves to go invite his friends back to our celebration. Uriah, Marlene, Lynn, Will, Christina, and I sit at a table and talk excitedly about jobs and apartments and our future here at Dauntless.

"Look. Peter's friends are gone, so he's like a lost puppy," Uriah whispers to our group.

"He deserves it. He doesn't belong in Dauntless. We're not supposed to be about cruelty," Christina says. I consider inviting Peter to sit with us, but remember the feeling of dangling over the chasm and decide against it.

"Too bad he didn't get cut. At least now, if he wants to mess with Tris, he won't have backup and he'll have to deal with all six of us," Will says.

"Twelve. All twelve of us," Zeke says. Four puts a hand on my shoulder. Behind them are Lauren, Shauna, and two older Dauntless boys I haven't met before. I spent sixteen years in Abnegation, and I only had two friends, but after less than a month in Dauntless I'm so much closer to so many more people. I guess that's the appeal of this faction. Once you've risked your life with someone, you grow closer to them.

"Where are we partying?" Uriah asks.

"It's a surprise. Follow me," Zeke flashes his daredevil smile. I get the feeling we aren't going back to someone's apartment. The new Dauntless members stand and follow the older members. Four falls in next to me and I relax. Four might tell me what's going on.

"I'm not going to tell you where we're going," he says. "You're just going to have to be brave and trust us."

So, like the Dauntless I now am, I follow my friends into the unknown.


	2. Initiation Ritual

I own nothing, sadly. I understand that my writing style is different than Veronica Roth's, but I hope you enjoy it anyways. Thank you for all the positive feedback on the first part of this story! I love you guys and I'll try to update as often as I can.

**Chapter 34**

Zeke leads us from the pit, down hallways until we reach the initiate's dorm. "Get an extra set of clothes. You'll need it," he says. The experienced Dauntless have backpacks, presumably where their extra clothes are. Uriah, Marlene, and Lynn put their clothes in an older Dauntless' pack. Christina has put her clothes in the bag Will bought on his first day here; he's still an Erudite in some ways, always prepared. Just as I'm wondering where I'll put my clothes, Tobias pulls off his pack and offers it to me. That's the Abnegation in him. It's comforting somehow, proof that even the most hardened people have some Abnegation in them.

When everyone's ready, we walk out of the compound to wait for the train, laughing and talking. Christina worriedly holds onto my arm with one hand and Will's hand with the other. She wasn't part of the zip-line escapade, so this is her first off-the-record adventure with Dauntless.

"Where are we going?" Christina ask me.

"Not sure. It'll probably be ridiculous. Definitely dangerous. But I'm sure it'll be fun!" I reply.

"Is this like an initiation ritual or something?" Will asks.

One of the two boys I don't know turns around. "Of sorts. When we were initiates, our trainer took us here and we've been coming back ever since."

"Don't give them any hints, Tyler!" Lauren says, "They'll have to wait and see."

The train arrives. We all pile into the car, set our bags in a haphazard pile as Zeke directs, and wait as the train takes us toward the outskirts of the city. What are we going to do out here?

"You might want to sit down. It'll be a long ride," Shauna says.

I slide down against the wall of the car and settle in, sitting cross-legged. Tobias glances at me, ends his conversation with Zeke, and sits down at my side. I smile as he reaches for my hand and let myself lean on his shoulder. We spend the rest of the trip silent, watching the sun disappear behind the skyscrapers. After twenty minutes, Tobias stands and pulls me up with him.

"Get ready to jump!" he says. Everyone else gets to their feet and a nervous energy fills the car. Zeke's wild grin returns. Uriah stands close to the door, in front of Zeke.

"There's nothing here. It's just a lake in the middle of-" Uriah's protest is cut off when Zeke tosses him from the train into the water. A laughing Shauna throws Lynn off, and the other three older Dauntless push Will, Christina, and Marlene towards the lake. Tobias picks me up and jumps. When I surface, sputtering, I see Lauren diving in, laughing and dragging Zeke along with her. I smile and swim towards the shore, where Tyler and Shauna jumped off, bringing all of our bags with them. I see what the extra clothes were for now.

"Tris, stay for a while. The water feels amazing!" Will says when he sees my intention. He's right. The warm summer air and the cool water are heaven on my skin. It's been a long time since I went swimming, so I'm determined to enjoy every second of this.

Tyler and the boy I don't know are climbing onto the platform built for the train tracks and using it as a diving board. I never learned how to dive because it's considered to be only for enjoyment, which isn't the Abnegation way. Learning to swim was a useful skill, but diving wasn't. I haul myself onto the platform, thrilled at the fact that I can lift my whole body with just my arms. Tyler grins and introduces the other boy as Kyle.

"So you're the Stiff who somehow managed to rank first?" Kyle asks.

"Kyle! She's a Dauntless now!" Lauren scolds him before doing a graceful back dive.

"Well, we're all thinking it!" Kyle must have been Candor before his Choosing, "You're also the initiate who's got a cute little crush on Four, right?"

I'm not sure how to respond to that, so I answer that yes, I'm first in my initiation class and change the subject. "Can you teach me to dive?"

"You never learned how to dive? Crazy Stiffs," Kyle mutters as he runs and flips off the platform. He won't be any help.

"I can teach you. And don't mind Kyle, he says whatever pops into his head. He doesn't actually mean to be insulting," Tyler says, "As long as you're not scared of water, diving is easy. Just put your hands above your head and jump at an angle towards the water. The lake's deep enough, but remember to angle back up after you hit the water."

After a demonstration and a few painful attempts, I learn how to keep my body controlled enough to make a decent dive. I thank Tyler, dive in one last time, and swim over to Tobias.

"So the initiation ritual is getting thrown off the train into a lake?" I ask.

"We decided to start it this year. Congratulations! You're one of the first to experience this wonderful rite of passage," he says, laughing. He's so much more relaxed here with his friends. The change from cold-hearted instructor to smiling friend amazes me. I like this side of him much more.

"Who found the lake?" I ask.

"Amar, my instructor from initiation. We took a field trip here," Tobias replies.

"Hey! The train will be here in ten minutes! Who's ready to go back to my place and get drunk?" Zeke yells. No time for romance now.

"There's the bell," I say.

"I'll go get our clothes. I brought towels too," Tobias says before swimming quickly towards the shore, arms slicing powerfully through the water. Oh my god. Where am I going to change at?! I hate changing in front of people, and there are no trees to hide behind out here. I sigh and follow Tobias, swimming reluctantly towards the group.

When I get close to Christina I whisper, "Where are we supposed to change at?"

She laughs and replies, "Just keep your towel wrapped around you while you change your bra and underwear and then turn around so no one can see. It's not a big deal, I swear."

She's right, it shouldn't be a big deal. I'm not Abnegation anymore, I'm Dauntless, and the Dauntless aren't afraid to show some skin. Or all of it, judging from the way Kyle's stripping in front of everyone. I look away, knowing I'll never be brave enough to be naked out in the open like that.


	3. Sex on the Beach

My name is Lindsay, not Veronica Roth, therefore I own nothing.

Sorry this chapter's a bit of a cliffhanger. I wanted to develop the new characters more and highlight Tris's developing confidence and comfort in Dauntless. I promise next chapter you'll get to hear secrets from the characters, including why Christina left Candor, some stuff about her and Will's relationship, and why Lynn considered transferring (I made that part up obvi. It seems to fit her). If you'd like to hear more about Kyle and Tyler's past, please let me know in a review and I'll write that in.

I would like to address some criticism from Chapter 2: I'm sorry if you didn't like that I changed the setting a bit by putting a lake in, but I liked the idea of it being a Dauntless thing, their own little lake in a city where there are supposedly no lakes. Kinda an illustration of the fact that they venture where the other factions refuse to. Also, as there are no well-known lakes in the city, a fear of large bodies of water would be probable, and the Dauntless are known for confronting their fears. Finally, my friends and I have our own initiation thing where the first time someone hangs out with us at the lake, we throw them in, because it's fun and it's a way of saying that we like that person and are comfortable around them. I wanted that little reflection of myself in the story.

Thank you for the constructive criticism, and if you have any ideas, let me know! Thanks for reading and if you enjoyed the story, write a review please! Happy Easter!

**Chapter 35**

Once we arrive back at Dauntless headquarters, Christina, Will, and I stop by the initiate's dorm to drop of our dripping clothes. To my surprise, Peter is lying in bed sleeping. It's only eight o'clock. Why isn't he celebrating in the pit with the rest of Dauntless or at a party in a friend's apartment? The full realization that Drew and Molly are gone, living the rest of their lives in poverty with the Factionless, steamrolls over me. Peter has no one here now. When he transferred to Dauntless, he gambled everything he's ever known and seems to have lost more than he gained. I almost feel sympathetic. Almost. I may have softened since Al's death, but I am not going to forget Peter's role in Edward and Myra's defection, my experience with the Chasm, and ultimately Al's death.

After hanging up our wet clothes, we exit quietly. I, for one, do not want a confrontation with Peter tonight. Uriah is waiting for us in the hallway and leads us to Zeke's apartment on the third floor. The layout is similar to Tobias's place, but that's where the comparison ends. Tobias's apartment is sparsely decorated, as if he just moved in or is waiting to move out. Zeke's is a riot of color. Mismatched furniture, bottles of alcohol on shelves and countertops, white walls splattered with various shades of paint, the whole place reflects his personality. Colorful and chaotic, but comfortable.

Shauna, Tyler, Lauren, Zeke, Kyle, Marlene, and Lynn are already here, laughing and yelling at one another. I note Tobias's absence, but am not comfortable enough with publicly being a couple to ask where he went. As Christina, Will, Uriah, and I find places to sit among the group, Tobias rushes in.

"I found two bottles in my cabinet!" he announces before stepping into the kitchen.

"Good. It's about time someone else supplies the alcohol," Zeke replies.

"Four, can you make my usual?" Lauren asks.

"Yeah sure. Anyone wanna come help me?" he says. I stand and step into the kitchen, mostly out of curiosity. I've never seen anyone mix drinks before, as Abnegation calls alcohol self-indulgence.

"Never tried anything like this before, huh Stiff?" Kyle follows me in and immediately sets himself to work, yanking glasses and bottles out of cupboards. Looks like Zeke actually is supplying some of the alcohol tonight.

"Never had the chance," I reply. I've decided that I won't be offended by Kyle's commentary. He's friends with Tobias and Zeke, so I'll just have to put up with him.

"Now would be the time to try it. I can make you something if you'd like," Kyle says as he pours orange juice into a blender.

"Umm… I'm not sure what would taste good," I feel naïve and out of place all of a sudden.

"No problem. Try some of this," he holds out a cup with yellow-orange slush in it, "and if you like it you can have the extra. It's what Lauren always drinks."

"You don't have to drink if you don't want to, Tris," Tobias says. I smile at him and thank him for watching out for me, but I want to try this. I want the organized chaos of Dauntless celebrations and diving in the lake and self-indulgent drinks, so I take a sip from the glass offered to me. I like it, more than I thought I would.

"What's this called?" I ask Kyle.

He grins at me, a carbon copy of Zeke's reckless smile, and replies, "Sex on the Beach. It's basically Peach Schnapps, orange juice, and ice. You can have that one, just deliver the other glass to Lauren."

While Tobias and Kyle mix drinks for the group, I busy myself delivering them; helping out when it's needed is an Abnegation habit I can't shake, but maybe that's not all bad. After everyone has a drink in their hands, we lounge around in Zeke's living room. Tobias sits close to me, our bodies touching from knee to shoulder. I feel content, happy with the boy sitting next to me and the friends I've made. I like all of them now, Kyle included. He really doesn't intend to be rude, he's just outspoken and not sure how to deal with my old faction.

Shauna stands up and yells, "Alright this getting boring. Who want to play truth or dare?"

"Not me. I still hear jokes about getting caught running past the leader's offices in my boxers," Tyler says.

"Don't get caught next time," Shauna replies with a smug smile.

"Well… I also want to hear about our brave new members and since no one ever picks truth, we won't be able to get as many secrets out of them. Let's play confession instead."

"Fine, but we're playing truth or dare next time."


	4. Confession

Hey again! Thank you for reading and being supportive! What with school starting up again for me tomorrow, I'm probably going to be posting every other day. Sorry, but hopefully this will result in longer and better chapters. If you have any ideas for what you want to hear about, Confession isn't over yet! Let me know and I'd love to work it in. Also, if you have any ideas about where you would like to see this story go, I'd like to hear those too. Feel free to message me privately if you don't want to give any possible ideas away for everyone else. Thank you and I hope you had a good Easter!

**Chapter 36**

I lean over to Tobias and whisper, "I don't know how to play this."

In response, he addresses the whole group, "If you don't know how to play this, it's pretty simple. On your turn, you can ask one person to confess something specific, and if they don't want to, they have to take off an article of clothing and do whatever dare is asked of them. Or, you can ask the whole group the same question, and everyone has to answer or take something off. No dare involved in a group question though. If you choose to ask the whole group though, the price is losing your own piece of clothing."

"Thanks, Four. Alright, who's first?" Shauna claps her hands together.

"I'll go!" Will volunteers, "Lauren, which of the Dauntless-born initiates irritated you the most?" He's obviously hoping she'll say it was someone in the room, but if Lynn, Marlene, and Uriah's laughs are any indicator, her initiate class knows exactly who she dislikes.

"Oh god that's easy. There was this brat named Emilia who thought she was sooo good. She got cut in the end. Couldn't handle the fear simulations," Lauren says. Will looks disappointed that her answer wasn't more interesting. "Zeke, what exactly is going on with you and Shauna?"

Zeke looks at Shauna, then back at Lauren, then at the rest of us. "We're casual. Just seeing if a relationship would work, but not in too deep." His eyes roam the group, then land on Uriah. He leans forward, smirking. "Uriah, exactly how far have you and Marlene gone sexually speaking?"

Uriah opens his mouth to reply, but a glare from Marlene gets the point across. He sighs and says, "I can't answer that."

"Then you have to take something off, run down to the Pit, and yell 'I'm a pretty pansycake!'" Zeke says. Uriah rolls his eyes, pulls off his shirt, and gets up to complete his dare. Marlene kisses him as a thank you for his sacrifice. We all laugh and follow him out, looking down at the Pit from the edge of the walkway as Uriah completes his dare.

"Tris. What's up with you and Four? I want all the details," Uriah says after he's returned to the apartment.

Christina squeals and yells, "Didn't you see them kiss after rankings were announced?" Kyle looks shocked. I smile a little, remembering his rude comment from earlier about my "cute little crush".

I interrupt her before she can say something more revealing. I glance at Tobias then reply, "Um we're sorta dating."

"More details! When, where, how long, how far you've gone, everything," Uri demands.

I blush. "We started dating after the second phase, but we wanted to keep it quiet, so people wouldn't say my rank was a result of favoritism. We haven't really done anything, honestly. We've kissed, but that's it." Four squeezes my hand. "Umm Christina. Why did you transfer from Candor?"

She hesitates, then replies, "I just couldn't deal with it. Being honest all the time isn't necessarily a good thing. Some of my family really didn't like me and, being from Candor, they would tell me that every single day. I wanted to prove I was strong and didn't need them or their approval."

That was a lot deeper than I expected. My reason for leaving Abnegation seems silly.

Christina looks at the group then pulls off her jacket. "I want to know what everyone got on their aptitude test, why everyone chose Dauntless and if you weren't Dauntless born, what faction you transferred from."

Zeke stands up. "I was born Amity," he starts off theatrically.

"Bullshit! You wouldn't last two minutes in Amity. And anyways, I remember you bit my arm in the Pit when we were five, and I have the scar to prove it." Lauren yells, pulling up her sleeve to show off the faint scar.

"You're right. I'm Dauntless-born, got Dauntless on my test, stayed because of family and all, but also because I belong here. Daredevil tricks are second nature," Zeke says then sits back down, his act over.

"I was Candor, but I chose Dauntless because that's what I got on my aptitude test. It made sense to me, too. I knew I wouldn't be Candor, and I'm happy with Dauntless," Kyle says.

We continue around the circle like this. So far, all of the group says they got Dauntless on their test, and that's the reason they chose this faction. When it's my turn, I take a deep breath and say, "I was Abnegation, and I got Abnegation on my aptitude test. I chose Dauntless because I never felt like I was selfless enough and I was tired of being walked on." The faces around me looked shocked. Christina, Will, and Tobias are the only ones who knew my result, and someone choosing against the test rarely happens.

Tobias quickly takes the unwanted attention away from me. "I was born Abnegation, and got an Abnegation result as well. I chose Dauntless because I didn't like the future I saw for myself in Abnegation."

"Did you and Tris know each other before Initiation?" Kyle asks.

"No. Her father is on the Council and her family was busy, so we didn't socialize much," Tobias replies tersely.

"Did you know Tobias? And is it true what Erudite's been saying about how Marcus abused him?" Will asks.

This may be Confession, but I highly doubt Tobias is casually going to admit his identity. That's not the kind of thing you just tell people. Is it?


	5. Further Confessions

Alright, this chapter's on the short side because I have Trig homework due tomorrow, but I hope it's still worth the read. Thanks for caring about the bizarre fantasies I create in my head!

**Chapter 37**

I stare at Tobias. He's kept his past quiet and gone by Four so long that most of the Dauntless have forgotten his given name. Would he really change that now?

Tobias looks Will in the eye and says, "No. I never met him." Of course he wouldn't admit his identity. If he did, he would be asked about the abuse rumors, and with ex-Candor in the room, he'd have a hard time lying. He's still angry about what happened and it shows when he talks about it. When the game moves on, I lean closer to him and dare to put my arms around him in a hug. He smiles at me and pulls me closer.

"I was born Dauntless and got Dauntless on my test, but… I thought about transferring. I know you all think that's weak, but I don't care. I didn't like growing up here. I like it better now that I'm a member, but I really did almost transfer. I hated it here that much," Lynn says.

"Why? What faction would you have transferred to?" I ask.

"I don't know. Any faction but this one," Lynn replies, "So who's turn is it now?" Hmm. I wonder why she moved on so quickly.

"I'll go!" says Tyler, "Shauna, how much have you and Zeke done?" He has to know she won't answer that. Shauna glares at him and pulls her shirt off, leaving her in a lacy bra. The boys stare, Christina and Marlene laugh, and I look away. I'm not sure if I like this game anymore.

"Kyle! Yes, you, staring shamelessly. What's your most embarrassing fear?" Shauna says.

"Dolls, alright. God Shauna, revenge much?" Kyle mutters.

Christina laughs so hard she has to lean against Will to stay sitting up. Above the loud voices and chuckles, she yells, "Dolls? Like pretty china dolls? WHY?"

Kyle fixes an angry gaze on her and replies, "Yes, dolls. The ones with pale faces and bright, too big eyes. When I was about thirteen, me and some friends found our way into ruins, and stumbled on an underground chamber from before the War. In it, there was a doll sitting on the floor. When we stepped inside the room, we all felt a chill at the same time and then the doll…it moved, and we heard a voice telling us to leave. So in conclusion, I am scared of dolls for a damn good reason."

After that experience, I'd be scared of dolls too.

Kyle looks around the room, slowly deciding who to embarrass next. "Christina. Your most embarrassing fear. Go."

Christina sighs, but she is Dauntless so she replies, "Moths. Big, ugly swarms of moths." That wasn't so bad. Moths are better than dolls after all. "Four, what's your real name and why is your nickname Four?"

Tobias shakes his head at her and strips off his shirt, revealing his tan stomach and the edges of the tattoo that covers his muscular back.

Christina smirks. "Then you also have to let Tris sit on your lap the rest of the game." Thanks, Chris, but no thanks.

"And what if she doesn't want to?"

"She does. Look, she's blushing cause she knows it's true."

Tobias wraps his arms around my waist and lifts me into his lap carefully. He rests his chin on my shoulder, keeping his arms wrapped around me protectively. The game runs away, skipping Tobias's turn, but I don't care. All I can think about is the boy who holds onto me like I'm the only thing tying him to this earth and the fire his skin sparks when it touches mine. I want to kiss Tobias, right here, in a room full of people. So I do.


	6. Peter, Alcohol, and Tris

Sorry it's been taking me so long to post! I haven't given up on this story, I promise. I have, however, been working on another project. Raise your hand if you like the Hunger Games. Now keep your hand up if you liked either of the movies. If your hand is up, I would love for you to check out the YouTube video I've been working on. It's a Catching Fire tribute set to Glory and Gore by Lorde, which I feel relates to the Hunger Games a lot. It should be up on my YouTube account (MissLErinM) by 4/29/14, That's Monday.

I'm considering doing a Divergent Video set to an Ellie Goulding song. Probably Explosions. Let me know what you think of that idea too please!

Finally, near the bottom, there's a section about smell. I see scents in colors, so I described them that way.

**Chapter 38**

A few hours later, Tobias stands up and says, "I think Tris and I are done for the night. New members have to pick jobs and roommates tomorrow, so she probably shouldn't be hungover." Then, in his strict instructor voice, he adds, "None of you should be actually." I stare questioningly at him. I haven't drank that much, have I? Only a few glasses of the orange juice drink and a shot of something Zeke dared me to swallow when I wouldn't confess all of my fears. I stand up to protest that I'm not drunk and won't have a hangover, but the world tilts and I end up holding onto Tobias's shoulder for support.

"Are you going to sleep in the initiates' dorm tonight, Tris?" Will asks.

"I'm not sure… I don't think it's a good idea, because Peter's there," I reply.

"You three can split up and each stay with one of us," Lauren says, "I think the Dauntless-born will be safe in their dorms."

Uriah grins, "I'm crashing here tonight. Why sleep in the dorms when I can invade Zeke's apartment?"

"Lynn is staying with me tonight!" Shauna says.

"Christina can stay with me. Tyler, can Will sleep at your place?" Lauren says. I never really got to know her during initiation, but I like her. There's something wild about her, despite the tight control she holds over herself. Like she's a jaguar masquerading as a house cat, and if you wait long enough, you'll see the jungle cat.

"Absolutely. My apartment is next door, so we can leave whenever," Tyler says.

"That leaves Marlene and Tris. Marlene, I assume you're staying with Uriah tonight?" Lauren asks, raising her pierced eyebrow. Marlene's cheeks brighten, and she nods. Zeke whispers something to Kyle and the two exchange money. A bet? On Marlene and Uriah? Lauren turns her dark eyes on me as Tobias wraps his arm around my shoulder. "You appear to know who you're staying with."

I nod and return her gaze, knowing if I respond my voice will shake from nerves or alcohol and I will come off as a naïve little Stiff. After saying goodbye and thank you, Tobias guides me out of the apartment. We climb a flight of stairs, slip down some hallways, rand end up in front of his apartment. I've slept here before, so why does this time feel different?

"You can have the bed if you want. I'll take the floor," Tobias says quietly as he unlocks the door.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor!" I reply, entering his apartment. I don't like the idea of my boyfriend lying on the cold floor while I relax in his bed.

"Where should I sleep then?"

"Well… you could always sleep with me. I mean, sleep next to me. In your bed. Fully clothed."

Tobias chuckles. "I know what you meant. Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. It's not honestly that big of a deal." I'm trying to sound unconcerned, but am indisputably failing.

"If you're sure, I'd like to share a bed with you for the night. I'll even lend you some pajamas."

I'd forgotten that my pajamas are in the initiates' dorm. Definitely not going back there tonight, so the best option is borrow from Tobias. He disappears through a doorway, then reappears holding black shorts and a tshirt that must be way too small for him. They smell like him, a mix of silvery metal, white soap, and something dark and spicy and I can't name.

After changing, I walk slowly back towards the bed. Tobias sits on the edge, reading a tattered book called_ Anthem_ by Ayn Rand. As I approach, he carefully sets the book down and asks, "Which side would you like?"

"The inside, if you don't mind. I like sleeping next to the wall," I reply. I climb in, laying with my back to Tobias so I'm facing the wall. "Thank you. For letting me stay with you tonight."

"I wasn't going to make you go back to the dorms drunk. You, Peter, and alcohol probably won't be good friends." Tobias pulls the covers over both of us and scoots closer to me, so his chest is touching my back. "Now get some sleep. Your new life starts tomorrow."

I close my eyes obligingly. I feel Tobias's arm snake around my waist and pull me closer. I smile, then drift into sleep.


	7. The Morning After

I know, I'm terrible for not updating sooner. I'm busy and all. The catching fire video is up on my youtube, but it's not as good as I wanted it to be. Something's wrong with the screen size. I'm postponing the Divergent video until I get my hands on a copy of the DVD, so that'll be a while. Sorry!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 39**

Gentle light streams through the window, awakening me. The watercolor sunrise, oranges bleeding into pinks and yellows, greets my eyes. But wait. The initiates' dorm doesn't have a window. I jolt upward, my elbow striking something, something that yawns and blinks. Tobias. I came home with him last night. He regards me thoughtfully, reaching to stroke my lower back before wrenching himself up to a position that resembles sitting.

"Do you remember last night?" Tobias asks in a rough-with-sleep voice.

"I think so? You were worried about me sleeping in the same room as Peter, so I slept here," I reply. I hope to God that's all that happened.

"Yup. But for the record, you invited me into bed with you, I didn't just make assumptions."

"I know. Thank you, by the way. What time is it?"

"It's about 7 am now, so we can go back to sleep for a while. I've got an alarm set." Tobias flops back down with another yawn. I lower myself back to my previous position, careful not to get too close to him. I can't believe I slept in the same bed as a guy. My mother would kill me.

Tobias scoots closer to me. His chest is touching my back, just like last night. Unlike last night, he slides an arm under my head. Then he wraps his other arm around my waist and pulls me closer. Tobias is warm and solid, something to hold onto in the crazy world of the Dauntless. I melt into him, reveling in the fact that of all the girls he could have chosen, he wants me. He kisses the back of my head and I fall back into the arms of sleep.

I wake to someone shaking my shoulder. Tobias sits on the edge of the bed, shirtless, with wet hair.

"Time to get up, Tris. Shower's open if you want it," he says. I groan, but sit up and head to the small bathroom in his apartment. It's only after showering and covering myself in a towel that I realize my clothes are still in the initiates' dorm.

I open the door a tiny bit and say, "Umm Tobias. I might need to borrow some clothes from you again."

He responds by handing me a small pile of clothing I recognize as mine. I look at him questioningly.

"Christina," he says as an explanation. What would I do without her? After dressing and throwing my hair up into a ponytail, I'm ready to go face the day. Tobias leads the way down to breakfast, not bothering to hide the fact that we're arriving together. I guess we're official. The mere thought buoy my heart with excitement. I choose a chocolate muffin and chocolate milk for breakfast. I went my entire childhood without chocolate, so I get it as often as I can now.

Christina skips toward me, grabs my arm without a word, and drags me to a table the whole crew from last night is sitting at. I sit across from a miserable Will, who's picking at his toast. Christina sees my confusion and whispers something about a hangover. I want to laugh, but I feel bad for Will. Apparently I didn't drink enough to have a hangover, which I'm happy about.

Between a mouthful of pancakes, Uriah says, "What position are you all gonna pick?"

"I want to be a tattoo artist!" Christina says.

"Control room operator," Will mumbles.

"Nurse! Blood doesn't weird me out, so I think I'll be good at it," Marlene says.

"I don't know. I'll just see what's available," Lynn says.

"I want to be an ambassador. And train initiates," I say.

"It'd be so cool to be a leader. I could make a difference and be a role model!" Uriah says, a dreamy look in his eyes. Zeke laughs at his brother and shoves him, almost knocking the oh-so-wise future leader off his chair.

"Attention new members!" Max stands at the edge of the railing, yelling down to us. "It is time to pick your future role in Dauntless. Follow me!"

All six new members at our table rise in unison and start walking. Tobias and Lauren lead the way up the stairs, to the room where we'll choose our futures.


	8. Out With The Old

**Chapter 40**

Max leads us into a conference room, and the ten new initiates sit down around the dark wood conference table. Lauren stands in front of the list of rankings and Tobias leans against the wall, looking bored.

"Here in Dauntless, you pick your job based on your rank. Highest ranked pick first." Max steps aside, revealing a board with potential jobs written on it. I quickly scan it and find ambassador. Only one position open! "Pick carefully. It's possible to switch later, but it's very difficult and often there aren't many jobs open. Tris picks first."

"Ambassador. And training initiates next year," I say.

"Alright. Next, Uriah," Max says, writing my choice down.

"Leader's assistant! And training initiates," Uriah says, clearly pleased he got his first choice.

"No more positions training initiate now. Lynn, our choice?" Max says.

Lynn chooses to be a trainer. The trainers here are well-respected, much more than initiate instructors are. Member's trainers work with full-fledged Dauntless members to keep up our strength, work on combat skills, and help us recover from injuries. They're like a mix of initiate trainer and nurse.

Marlene chooses to be a nurse, Christina gets her wish of being a tattoo artist, Will looks slightly less miserable when he gets to be a control room operator, and Peter, surprisingly, chooses to be a fence guard and spend most of his life away from Dauntless. I guess he won't be a problem anymore. Things are shaping up.

When everyone has chosen, Eric steps forward, holding a clipboard. "Housing. Living with a roommate costs less points, so give that some thought. You can live on your own, though. Pack your things from the initiate's dorm, you'll move into new apartments tonight, shortly after dinner. That's when you'll sign up for an apartment, with or without a roommate. Dismissed until tonight."

Tobias catches my eye and inclines his head, asking me to wait. He must want to talk to me. I pause and let everyone file out in front of me. Peter doesn't look up as he passes me. Tobias walks next to me, keeping pace. He looks like he's about to ask me something when Max yells down the hall, telling us to wait. Oh god. Does he know I'm Divergent?

Tobias turns and backtracks. I follow him, my feet suddenly like lead. Max lets us into a room marked "Leader's Office" in bold black letters. I settle into a stiff chair next to Tobias, my heart pounding. Getting called into a leader's office is no small deal.

"It's come to my attention that you two are involved," Max begins. _That's_ what this is about? "I do not usually care one way or another who is involved with who, but Tris, seeing as you finished first in your class, some might wonder."

"You know that's not true, Max. You saw her in her fear landscape. Tris only had seven fears, and she got through them quickly. And if you want proof she's physically tough enough to be Dauntless, you can watch her throw knives or stand in front of the target without flinching while I throw them." Tobias says, his voice hard.

Max's eyes narrow. "I'm well aware of how talented Tris is. She definitely deserved first. It's funny that you mention her fear landscape. Are you aware you were in it?"

"Yes. She mentioned it," Tobias replies, his face tensing.

"And her ranking and her fear of sex with you are not connected?" Max asks. Oh. My. God. He thinks Tobias threatened my ranking to get sex.

"No. They're not. I don't know why she's scared of intimacy, but I respect that. And her ranking has nothing to do with our relationship," Tobias says, visibly irritated.

"_**She**_ is right here. And I can speak for myself," I say to Tobias, then turn to Max, "T-I mean Four never mentioned my ranking to me and definitely never threatened it to coerce me. He and I are actually dating now. Thank you for caring, though."

Max relaxes, then says, "You almost called him Tobias. Not many people know that's his given name. Certainly not many initiates. I'm sorry I had to even bring the subject up, but the other leaders were concerned."

Tobias nods. He seems less angry now, so I put a hand on his arm. He smiles at me and laces his fingers with mine.

"Now, there's one other thing. You've heard about what's happening with Erudite and information leaks, right?" Max directs the question at Tobias.

"Of course. They must be getting Dauntless information somehow, from some insider. Someone high up, too," Tobias replies.

"Yes, and I think I know who it is. Eric was Erudite and seems to have retained some loyalty to Jeanine. We've recorded him meeting with her several times," Max says. Accusing another Dauntless leader of treachery. Wow.

"What can I do to help?" Tobias asks.

"Step up and be a leader. Take his spot, so he's in a less dangerous position. He'll be angry, he'll get sloppy, and it'll give me time to catch him passing information," Max says.

"I'll have to think about it…" Tobias says hesitantly.

"I'd like an answer by tomorrow morning. And obviously, say nothing to anyone about this."

Tobias nods, then stands and with a final goodbye walks out the door. I get up to follow and Max says, "Tris. If Tobias takes the leader position, it'll put you in danger. Eric will want revenge and all the leaders know you two are dating now. Be careful."

I thank Max and slip out, carefully shutting the door behind me.


	9. Not Babysitting The Young Leader

Sorry I took such a long hiatus! No promises for any further postings, but I found this chapter half-finished on my laptop, so I had to post it.

Chapter 41

I walk quickly to catch up with Tobias. I won't tell him about Max's warning. I want him to take this job, and if he's worried about me, he might not. We walk in silence to the initiate's dorm, where he leaves me with a promise to meet me at lunch.

The moment I enter, Christina sprints up to me. "What happened? I heard Max call you and Four back to his office! Are you two in trouble for being together? What did Max say?"

"Calm down! Nothing bad happened, he just wanted to make sure Four didn't use his position to… um… yeah. But we told him we're dating and my ranking has nothing to do with Four, so it's all good," I say, blushing.

"Oh my god I was so worried. I thought you two were in trouble!" Christina yells. Peter and Will look over. Great. The last thing I need is Peter finding out about Four and I's relationship. I walk to my bed and start piling up my miniscule amount of belongings. This is all I own in the world now, but it's still more than I had in Abnegation. Christina follows me over and sits on the bed.

"So I was thinking about what Eric said about sharing an apartment being cheaper. Do you want to share, so we can both save our money up?" she asks, "Unless, of course, you and Four are already planning to share."

I roll my eyes. "You know me better than that. We haven't even been dating that long. Of course I'll share with you!"

"Okay good, because I like Will and all, but I don't want to share an apartment with him just yet. I think he's going to talk to Uriah about sharing."

Hearing his name, Will walks over and wraps his arms around Christina. "Talking about me?"

"Just about living arrangements. Still going to talk to Uriah about sharing?" Christina says.

"Yeah, I think I'll bring it up over lunch." Will replies.

"Speaking of lunch, if you're both packed up, I'm hungry. It's almost noon," I say.

Christina and Will nod, and we head down to the cafeteria together. Once we're there, we get our food and find a table. Uriah, Marlene, and Lynn sit down a few minutes later. Talk turns to who's going to have the worst job training. Uriah insists that with his luck, Eric will be the leader he assists. I change the topic, unwilling to say anything about Tobias's job offer.

"So who's sharing apartments with who?" I ask, munching on a carrot.

"I'm moving in with Shauna," Lynn says, not looking up.

"I don't know what I'm doing," Marlene says, "Uriah and I aren't going to move in together yet, but neither of us have the money to live alone."

"I could live with Zeke, but I don't particularly want to," Uriah adds.

"I need a roommate. Wanna room together?" Will takes the opportunity to ask.

"Yeah, that'd be great but what about Marlene?" Uriah says.

"She can live with me and Tris. Based on the size of Zeke's apartment, I think there's room," Christina says. So it's settled. Marlene, Christina, and I will live together, Uriah and Will are roommates, and Lynn is staying with her sister. That works out nicely.

"So we have the day off until tonight. What do you guys want to do?" Marlene asks.

"We could always go back to Zeke's," Uriah replies.

"And do what, get drunk?" Lynn says, then points the carrot she's eating at him. "I do not have time to babysit you, young leader."

"I promise to behave! But seriously, let's go. I have a key." Uriah fishes in his pocket for a second than triumphantly holds up the key. So we all stand up and file out of the dining hall after him.


	10. UPDATE

Alrighty, I've been gone forever but this story is still getting hits and people requesting for updates. So I think what's going to happen is I will update every week or two weeks and try to keep this story on track. I'm also looking for a beta, so if anyone would be so kind as to direct me to one, that'd be cool. Sorry for the long hiatus, but THIS STORY WILL GO ON.

MissLErinM


	11. Weapons? Weapons!

**I'm going so far off canon with this because I can and I like it. Sorry if that disappoints you, but I've decided that I'm going to manipulate their world a little bit because I refuse to read books 2 or 3 BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AT THE END OF ALLEGIANT AND MY POOR LITTLE HEART CAN'T TAKE THE PAIN OKAY. So, the point is, I'm not an expert on the world of Divergent, so I figure why care about it so much.**

**ALSO at the point, I am not doing a chapter from Four's POV. I don't think I can do his thought process justice, and I just don't want to so yup.**

A knock sounds on the door of Zeke's apartment.

"Zeke? I thought you had to work this afternoon?" Shauna yells as she walks in. At the sight of the six of us lounging on the furniture in Zeke's living room, she stops. Scanning the room, she finds Uriah and raises an eyebrow at him.

Uriah shrugs in answer to the unspoken question. "We were bored and didn't know where else to go. What are you doing here?"

Shauna replies, "I heard voices and got curious, since Zeke told me he was working the afternoon shift today. Does he know you guys have invaded his apartment and probably his alcohol cabinet?"

Uriah glances at the rest of us. "Nooo, but you're not gonna kick us out right? Don't you have a heart? You can't leave us on the street like we're Factionless!"

Shauna rolls her eyes, "Whatever. But if you wreck anything, I had no clue you were here, got it?" She leaves amid a chorus of thanks from the rest of us and Uriah runs to lock the door behind her. We honestly aren't drinking or causing any problems. After eating lunch, we'd stopped by the Pit to buy a few necessary things and then headed up here. In the hour or so since then, Christina, Marlene, and I have argued over the color scheme for our apartment, estimated how many points we can each afford to spend on furniture, and set some ground rules for the apartment.

After Shauna leaves, I look back at the paper we'd written our ground rules on. Most of them are common sense.

_Parties are a joint decision_

_All roommates must agree if someone is going to spend the night._

_Changing furniture or decoration requires agreement from everyone._

_You may only loan your key to a person all parties have deemed trustworthy._

_Do not leave untrustworthy people alone in the apartment._

_Lock the door if you are the last one to leave._

"_Visiting hours" are 8 am- 11 pm on weekdays, 8 am- 1 am on weekends. Exceptions for emergencies only._

_Respect roommates' privacy._

We'll probably add onto the list as we figure out the problems living together presents, but so far the list seems decent.

"Hey, who goes on the list of trustworthy people? Like, who can we leave alone in the apartment and who can we loan a key to?" Christina asks.

Marlene grabs the pen and paper before saying, "I think everyone here should go on the trustworthy list. Hey guys!" Lynn and the boys look up from their conversation about future jobs, "Can we trust you not to steal stuff from our apartment?"

"I can promise that I won't steal stuff, but I may or may not use you as guinea pigs for prank ideas. Don't say I didn't warn you," Will says.

Christina rolls her eyes before muttering something about kicking his ass. "Put all of them on the list. If we get pranked, we know who it was."

"Can we put Four on the list?" I ask, then quickly add, "and Lauren, Shauna, and Zeke, too."

Christina and Marlene nod. "Maybe we'll add Tyler and Kyle later on, just… not now." I nod in agreement. Now that we have ground rules settled, we're back to arguing color scheme. Christina and I don't want black, white, or gray. We're both tired of those colors because of our old factions, but Marlene argues that not including black in the color scheme could lead to us being called faction traitors. As an example, she points out that the furniture in Zeke's apartment has black frames. Christina and I reluctantly agree, which leaves us with the issue of what other colors to include. We're interrupted by a frantic knocking on the door.

Will runs to the door and opens it for Lauren, Tyler, and Kyle. After they run in, Kyle locks the door behind them. I've never seen Lauren look even mildly upset, so seeing her panicked is concerning, to say the least.

Lauren scans the room, clearly waiting for us to shut up and then announces, "Eric's on the warpath. Rumors have been flying that Max is going to oust him from his leadership position, and we all know that means Four will be in as leader. The point is, Four sent us to warn all of you. Don't leave here unless you really can't help it. Never _ever _get caught anywhere alone, and on that note, make sure at least one person with you is a kickass fighter. Eric's crazy, and we're not willing to risk losing any of you."

We all nod, shocked at this. Eric wouldn't hurt another Dauntless, would he? But even as I think it, I know he will. And not just any Dauntless. Me. Lauren, Kyle, and Tyler join our circle, clearly settling in for a while. Lauren leans over to me, trying to appear casual, and quietly says, "Four asked us to set up a guard detail for you."

I turn to look at her, "Thanks, but I think I can handle it. I'm not Abnegation anymore; I'm not just going to let him hurt me. I'm tough." I know I can't handle Eric on my own, but how am I supposed to command any respect in this faction if I need babysitters?

Lauren smiles, but it's too tense to seem friendly, "I know that. But a fight between you and him would be fatal to one, if not both, of you. And killing members is slightly frowned upon here. So, Four and I decided it would be easier to avoid a fight by making sure Eric can't get you alone."

"And what if he's got friends?" I ask.

"He doesn't. Not a lot of Dauntless like him actually. Some of the new ones, maybe, but they're mostly just scared of him and don't want to show it. The older Dauntless hate him. They won't help him attack another Dauntless." Lauren assures me.

I don't like the idea of having armed babysitters, but if it will keep Four happy, I'll deal with it. "Okay," I say, and then add, "Thank you." I know how much it means, for them to go against a current leader for me.

A knock sounds on the door. Three knocks, a pause, two knocks, and then the sound of a key in the door. I tense as Kyle crosses the room to get the door, but the door swings open to reveal Shauna. She kicks the door closed with her foot, leaving Kyle to lock the deadbolt. Shauna smirks at us as she walks to the kitchen and sets her multitude of bags on the counter.

"Expecting someone else?" She asks, arching an eyebrow at our huddled group.

"We're just a little tense," Tyler replies.

Shauna rolls her eyes, "I know that, and I know why. I'm not stupid." Lynn mutters something to Uriah who laughs. Shauna glares at them, than continues, "Zeke got a message to me and I brought supplies. We're stocking up like there's a war coming."

"Did you bring food, by chance?" Kyle calls.

Shauna rolls her eyes for the second time in thirty seconds, "No. The plan is to act like there's nothing wrong and we have no clue Eric's jumped on the crazy train. We're just not going to leave Tris anywhere by herself."

"So what did you bring?" Lauren asks, suddenly all business.

Shauna roots around in her bags, "Communications devices, all the transfers' stuff from the initiate's dorm, non-lethal weapons, and a jacket for Tris."

"Why does Tris get a jacket, but no one else does?" Lynn complains.

"Because Eric's not trying to kill everyone else, just Tris," Shauna replies, in the same tone my mother used to tell me why we fed the factionless. The effect is, no surprise, creepy, and shuts Lynn up immediately.

Shauna tosses me the jacket, informing me that it's got stronger material to better protect me. She also tells me that the extra padding in it was intended to be used in the vests to protect Dauntless on Factionless patrol, but apparently one of her friends managed to swipe some from a destroyed vest and use it to make a much cuter prototype jacket. I pull on the jacket, thankful it fits correctly.

"Wait, you said weapons!" Tyler yells.

"Weapons?" Uriah asks.

"Weapons!" Lauren replies, "The better to defend yourself with, young grasshopper."


End file.
